Last.



No- 830;l68.

R. PIERCE. LAST.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, 1906.

PATENTED SEPT. 4, 1906.

TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT PIERCE, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK E. BRIGKFORD, OF SWVAMPSCOTT, MASSACHUSETTS.

LAST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1906.

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT PIERCE, of Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Lasts, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

In the manufacture of shoes one of the chief expenses is the cost of making new lasts to accord with the styles as they change from season to season. These changes in style are principally in the shape of the toe portion or fore part of the last, practically no change usually being made in the portion of the last back of the ball.

The object of my invention is to produce a simple form of connection for a two-part last which will hold the toe part rigidly on the heel part, so that the last may serve the same purpose as one that is solid and so that said parts will not become disconnected with ordinary usage, although they may be readily disconnected, if desired, thereby enabling the continued use of the heel part from season to season and rendering it necessary only for the different forms of toe parts to be substituted one for another as the styles change.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the ball portion of a last provided with my invention with the top removed. Fig. 2 is a central section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the rear end of the fore part. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the front end of the heel part. Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2, showing the manner of disconnecting the parts.

In the drawings a form of three-part last is shown, said parts comprising the heel part a and the toe part b, the plane of severance therebetween being at the widest part of the fore part or at about the middle of the ball, and the ordinary instep-block c, which extends across said plane of severance, as shown in Fig. 2.

A metal plate cl is rigidly secured by screws to the severed end of heel part a, said plate having therein a tapering dovetail groove (1, which extends upward from and has its widest end at the bottom of the last. A metal plate e is likewise rigidly secured to the severed end of the toe part, said plate being provided with a correspondingly-tapering dovetail tongue 6, which is adapted to enter and become tightly wedged in the dovetail groove d when the two sections are in their proper relations. The meeting faces of the fore part and heel part are recessed from top to bottom to receive the plates (Z and a, so that the latter are flush with said faces. A recess f is formed in the fore part directly in the rear of the middle part of plate e, and a spring-pressed bolt is located in said recess, the protruding end of said bolt extending through a hole a in said plate in which it is fitted and slidably mounted, said bolt being provided with a'collarf, which is adapted to engage the inner side of said plate to form a stop and limit its outward movement. Said bolt f normally extends a short distance beyond the side of the plated or its tongue d and is adapted to be pushed back flush with said side. A hole (Z of corresponding size and location to the hole a is formed through plate (1, so that when the tongue 6 is tightly wedged in the groove d and the parts a and b are in their normal relativepositions said bolt will enter and fit in the hole (Z and will prevent any relative sliding movement of said tongue in said groove and hold. the parts securely together. A recess a is formed in the heel part 0 directly in the rear of plate d, said recess extending from the instep-block seatdown to the inner end of aperture (1 so that any suitable implement, as that indicated at 7', may be readily passed down into said recess e into engagement with the end of said bolt f, (see Fig. 6,) whereby the latter may be pushed back out of engagement with the plate (1 and the fore part may be slipped down out of engagement with the heel part. In attaching the fore part to the heel part it is simply necessary to press in the bolt f so that it is flush with the side of the tongue 6 and then to slip the tongue 5 of the fore part up into the slot d until the bolt f springs into aperture (1 The instep-block c is held in place by any convenient or well-known means and when in position covers the recess a, although it may be removed without in any way interfering with the connection with the heel and fore part, so that the latter are rigidly held together under all conditions of ordinary use and there is no reasonable possibillilty of their becoming detached accidenta y.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that one fore part may be readily changed for another without difficulty, so that the heel part maybe used indefinitely.

While the bolt f is shown in the fore part, it is practically immaterial whether it is located in the fore part or the heel part, so far as the facility of disconnecting the parts and the rigidity with which they are connected is concerned.

The metal plates d and 6 when used as above specified are highly advantageous, as they not only enable the parts to be held with great rigidity, so that there will be no side play or rocking motion therebetween even after extended use, but also render it possible to lock these parts rigidly together by means of the bolt f, which will continue to fit tightly in said plates even after long' continued use. The plate (1 also provides a convenient means for providing an engaging means for the bolt 5 f in frontof the recess a, through which the tool 7' is passed to disconnect the parts.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A last having the fore part detachably connected to the heel part, each having a metal plate rigidly mounted thereon at the line of severance, said plates being respectively provided with a cooperating dovetail tongue and groove, a spring-actuated bolt located in one of said parts, said bolt being slidably fitted in and movable through the plate thereof, and the other plate having an aperture therethrough into which said bolt is adapted to fit when said parts are in their normal position, to lock them together, said part bearing the apertured. plate having a recess therein leading to the inner end of its said aperture, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT PIERCE.

Witnesses:

L. H. HARRIMAN, CYNTHIA DOYLE. 

